The present invention relates to a support for an object, and more particularly to a support apparatus for musical instruments, the apparatus mounted in a slot of an electronic component mounting rack.
Professional musicians use component mounting racks, in which various electronic musical devices, such as amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, equalizers, mixers, and the like, are mounted. The racks have recesses or "slots", one atop another, into which the electronic devices are inserted. Manufactures of such electronic devices often conform the exterior dimensions of their products to the dimensions of the slots of the component mounting racks.
Professional musicians also utilize musical instrument supports or "stands", which are placed on the stage to hold one instrument while another is in use. Previous devices for supporting musical instruments have been free standing mechanisms, unconnected with a component mounting rack. Such devices for guitars have typically provided an upper member against which the neck of a guitar rests, and a lower member on which the body of the guitar rests. However, these free-standing instrument supports lack any restraints which would prevent the instrument from toppling on impact. Further, the stands themselves often rest on relatively small bases, and are therefore unstable and susceptible to being knocked over by a slight impact. Typically there is a great deal of movement during a musical performance, particularly if the music is of the "rock" variety. Thus, guitars and other instruments are at risk of being toppled. Such mishaps can be quite costly, if an expensive professional instrument is damaged.
Additionally, since previous musical instrument stands were free-standing devices, a great deal of effort and money had to be expended in repeatedly moving them. Movers or road managers had to pack them at one location, move them to the site of a concert, set them up at the concert location, and then separately re-pack them for transport to the location of the next concert.
The present invention is a musical instrument stand adapted to be mounted into a component mounting rack, which may be folded completely into the rack for ease of moving. The stand includes a self-locking object retention means, which prevents the instrument from falling if impacted.